Am I Crazy? (San Diego, Escondido, Vista: apartment, HOA fees, insurance)

[jason88]

I can get a really nice place for $130,000. I have looked at Fallbrook and it gets into the 40's 5 months of the year so the weather does not appear to be as nice and Ramona is too far inland for me.

[tickyul]

Originally Posted by jason88

I can get a really nice place for $130,000. I have looked at Fallbrook and it gets into the 40's 5 months of the year so the weather does not appear to be as nice and Ramona is too far inland for me.

Uh, no.....Fallbrook does not get into the 40's for 5 months, at least not during the day. Trust me, I lived in that areas for close to 4 years.

What is wrong with living inland. I mean, a MHP as compared to a house with property. Well, I guess everyone has priorities. But a car would take you close to the water in short order from Fallbrook and similar areas.

[jason88]

As I said, the weather is a deciding factor for me. I looked at the average temps for Fallbrook and the lows show in the 40's for 5 months of the year. I have also read on this forum that the further inland you go the warmer the summers. That is not what I am looking for.
I think when you reach retirement age and are no longer working, your priorities change quite a bit. You do not look at a "home" as an investment but as the place where you will live out your life. When you are younger everything revolves around your job, how long is your commute, good schools, etc. I do not have to even consider those things anymore and now consider can I read a book outside because the weather is great, can I grow the plants I collect without a greenhouse, things that will make retirement worth all the years of hard work.

[shmoov_groovzsd]

Originally Posted by jason88

As I said, the weather is a deciding factor for me. I looked at the average temps for Fallbrook and the lows show in the 40's for 5 months of the year. I have also read on this forum that the further inland you go the warmer the summers. That is not what I am looking for.
I think when you reach retirement age and are no longer working, your priorities change quite a bit. You do not look at a "home" as an investment but as the place where you will live out your life. When you are younger everything revolves around your job, how long is your commute, good schools, etc. I do not have to even consider those things anymore and now consider can I read a book outside because the weather is great, can I grow the plants I collect without a greenhouse, things that will make retirement worth all the years of hard work.

Precisely. I am helping a family member out right now that is in a similar position. He has a modest pension and retirement savings. No job or schools to care about, no wife....pretty much a clean slate.
If he wanted a new house for under 200k he could take a plane to Phoenix or Las Vegas and just buy a place right there and then as there are limitless choices. But he doesnt want that, he wants beach and nice weather.
So I agree, the general rule of thumb wont apply here.

OP: if you do a quick thread search for a a user called "Beware_of_Dog" he moved out here and got a mobile home in San Marcos I believe. Here are a couple of threads he is on. It may be in your best interest to contact him directly as he did his due diligence prior to moving out here.

//www.city-data.com/forum/san-d...-own-land.html

//www.city-data.com/forum/san-d...-000-cash.html

[jason88]

Thank you for you reply, I appreciate it. I have read this forum for quite some time now and have read the posts by Beware of Dog. I did email him through his web site but he has not responded. I would be very interested in his pro's and con's now that he has lived there awhile.

I was hoping there might be some readers that live or have lived in one of the +55 parks to get their opinions.

[futbol]

Originally Posted by tickyul

Give us an idea of how much you want to spend, that would help.

I would try other options first before a mobile home park. There are some areas up north (Ramona, Fallbrook) where you could get a little house on a pretty good sized lot for pretty cheap......to me, that is a much better move.

That's what I was going to suggest, but it seems this person wants to be within walking distance of major stores.

In Ramona (or other outer communities of SD County) you can buy a plot of land and put a pre-fab home on it, or buy one as-is, but you might have to travel a mile to the grocery store.

[jason88]

No, I never said I wanted to walk to stores. I simply said I would like them to be nearby. I have checked the average year-round temperatures and Ramona is hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than San Marcos.

[NYSD1995]

If you are looking at mobile homes in suburban North County I would agree that you should also look at the idea of putting a manufactured home on a lot in unincorporated San Diego county - areas around Fallbrook, Vista, San Marcos, Escondido, Ramona, El Cajon, Lakeside, etc come to mind.

I think the Mobile home parks in San Diego mostly cater to people looking specifically for the community aspect of living in mobile home parks. Unlike say LA or Orange county, San Diego is still relatively accessible to those who want private but very simple and affordable housing.

[tickyul]

Originally Posted by futbol

That's what I was going to suggest, but it seems this person wants to be within walking distance of major stores.

In Ramona (or other outer communities of SD County) you can buy a plot of land and put a pre-fab home on it, or buy one as-is, but you might have to travel a mile to the grocery store.

I guess the OP does not like that idea, wants to be closer to the water.

There are some steals in places like Ramona and Fallbrook, big lots and what I consider very nice weather. Ramona is a great place, you live in a small town.....but you are pretty close to everything. Fallbrook is another very nice place.

Oh well, everybody has their own opinions.

[jason88]

I would be very curious to know how old you are. If you read my posts I never said I want to walk to anywhere nor did I say I want to be close to the water. What I said was I liked the idea of San Marcos as it is cooler in the summer than the inland towns you mention and warmer in the winter. For someone of retirement age that is more important than it might be for you. For some people a difference of ten degrees can make the difference of whether they enjoy the climate.
I have owned homes since I was 25 years old in 4 different states. I have had the large piece of property and enjoyed it greatly. But again, in retirement I do not want to take care of a large lot.
I also mentioned I was looking at a +55 community. There are more of these in San Marcos than the towns you mention.
This is why I was hoping there were a few seniors on this forum that might live in the type of community I am looking at. I realize you probably cannot relate to what is important to a senior citizen but I can guarantee you someday you will.